Name: Seminole enacts new noise ordinance to replace outdated regulations
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Seminole enacts new noise ordinance to replace outdated regulations

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AdvertisementBy Orlando SentinelMay 12, 2020 at 6:12 pmSeminole County on Tuesday enacted a new noise ordinance with strict regulations that officials hope will quell loud music, rein in noisy venues and give residents in neighborhoods near commercial areas some peace and quiet.“I love what’s going on here, and I’m totally in support of this ordinance,” said Jonas Pearson to commissioners before the board unanimously approved the new ordinance. “It’s been a long time coming.”AdvertisementPearson is among dozens of residents of a south Seminole neighborhood who have long complained about loud music and outdoor celebrations coming from a nearby church mostly on weekend mornings.According to the ordinance, a property owner would be in violation if noise exceeds 60 decibels – about as loud as conversations in a restaurant – for more than one minute between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. or 55 decibels for one minute between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.AdvertisementChronic violators could be fined up to $500 per day or spend 60 days in jail. Seminole’s new regulations mirror similar noise rules in Orange County and several Central Florida municipalities.The ordinance makes exceptions for ice cream trucks, construction equipment, trains and aircraft. State laws regulate noise – such as music from loudspeakers - coming from motor vehicles on roadways.As a growing number of residents complained last year about noisy neighbors and racket emanating from commercial areas near their homes, Seminole officials realized that the county’s old noise ordinance — first written in 1974 and last updated in 1992 — was woefully out of date.Sheriff officials said there was little they could do because the county’s old regulations gave them little enforcement power and lacked criteria on what is loud.“Seminole county has had a noise ordinance for decades, but it has not been significantly revised in some time,” said David Shields, assistant county attorney.Many residents said the noise and music on weekend mornings from Action Church Inc. on Grand Road was loud enough to rattle windows and jar them awake.The church later moved most of their outdoor services to a different location. Since March, Action Church has held their services online because of the coronavirus pandemic.Seminole hired Lisa Schott, an acoustical and noise expert from Oviedo, at a cost of up to $15,000 to help county staff devise the new regulations.AdvertisementCounty officials said specific decibel limits and measuring them with a sound level meter will now provide law enforcement with an objective method for measuring sound. Otherwise, law enforcement would have no criteria on what constitutes a violation.As it happensBe the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. &gt; Now with the new ordinance, the Sheriff’s Office plans to equip deputies with sound devices that measure decibel levels.“Whereas before our Sheriff’s Office was not able to act, they will now be able to act,” Commissioner Lee Constantine said.Seminole’s ordinance applies to the entire county unless a city has its own noise ordinance.Commissioner Bob Dallari asked if residents using loud generators after a hurricane or during a power outage would violate the ordinance.County attorneys said generators could be exempted from the ordinance when the county issues an emergency order after a natural disaster or power outage.AdvertisementThe new ordinance allows an individual or a group to apply for a temporary permit from the County Manager’s office if they are planning to hold an event that would exceed the noise limits in the ordinance.mcomas@orlandosentinel.com Advertisement

AdvertisementBy Orlando SentinelMay 12, 2020 at 6:12 pmSeminole County on Tuesday enacted a new noise ordinance with strict regulations that officials hope will quell loud music, rein in noisy venues and give residents in neighborhoods near commercial areas some peace and quiet.“I love what’s going on here, and I’m totally in support of this ordinance,” said Jonas Pearson to commissioners before the board unanimously approved the new ordinance. “It’s been a long time coming.”AdvertisementPearson is among dozens of residents of a south Seminole neighborhood who have long complained about...

Seminole enacts new noise ordinance to replace outdated regulations

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